


Hirsute Pursuit

by Khatulistiwa



Category: Chalet School - Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
Genre: Accidents, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:28:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28107039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khatulistiwa/pseuds/Khatulistiwa
Summary: Mary-Lou has thinky thoughts.
Kudos: 3





	1. Frames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mary-Lou has thinky thoughts.

Mary-Lou stroked her beard thoughtfully.

It was over a year since the sledding accident that had led to the doctors at the San shaving her head. Her hair had grown back in gratifying curls — she had always rather hankered after curls — and the beard had been a surprise bonus.

Aunt Joey never mentioned the beard in the books that she wrote, though. Instead, she focused on things like the weight that Mary-Lou had lost in the weeks following the accident, and how much prettier she felt Mary-Lou was now.

Mary-Lou thought she could understand that. She was very fond of her new beard, but it wasn't something that others were necessarily comfortable with. After all, it was very hard not to get oatmeal and egg yolk stuck in it after breakfast. Stews also were off the dinner menu at the moment. Nobody enjoyed the sight of bits of food stuck in facial hair, that was just how humans were wired.

There was another side-effect of the accident that was never mentioned.

Admittedly, Mary-Lou was the only person who knew about it.

But still.

Even she knew that it would create a terrible fuss if she ever told anyone that she could read minds now.

It wasn't always, and it wasn't something she could control. The first time it had happened, she had still been in the San. She had drifted awake in the middle of the night and sleepily noticed Aunt Joey slumped in an armchair in the corner of the room. And quite suddenly, she knew that Aunt Joey was thinking about pushing Emerence off a precipice. She could _see_ the thought, the image of her brevet aunt laughing madly as she gave Emerence an almighty shove devastatingly clear. She could _feel_ Aunt Joey's glee.

Then Aunt Joey had looked up and noticed that Mary-Lou was awake, and the moment had broken.

But by golly, that was food for thought.

Mary-Lou stroked her beard again.


	2. Fog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens like a pea-souper.

Smoke.

There was so much smoke.

Jem Russell coughed and waved a hand in front of his face.

Jack Maynard looked apologetic as he ushered Jem past the study to his own office. "Sorry," he said. "Joey's down to three packs a day, but it's still a lot."

His brother-in-law nodded and coughed again. "It's fine," he rasped. "Just... never mind."

Jack shut the office door behind them and switched on the portable air filter. It rattled as it started up, then settled to gentler hum.

Jem collapsed onto the big leather settee. "Whew."

Jack pulled the cushioned office chair by his desk across to the settee, and sank down. "Now, why the urgent meeting?"

Jem sat up and glanced around the room, checking the windows and doors. Satisfied that they were shut against prying eyes and ears, he leaned over to Jack and spoke quietly. "Jack. You're going to have to back off a bit on some of your experiments. I've heard whispers. People are starting to suspect."

There was a beat of silence.

Jem looked at his brother-in-law and thought that he was taking the blow rather well, all things considered.

At last, Jack spoke. "What have they been saying?"

Jem suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. "Jack," he said. "Mary-Lou's beard has exactly not gone unnoticed."

Jack shrugged casually. "Yes, well," he said. "Adolescence is a strange and difficult time."

Jem Russell's left eye twitched, but he made another effort. He had not, after all, achieved knighthood by shirking difficult duels. "Jack," he said again. "Luscious facial foliage is not exactly common in sixteen year old girls."

Dr Maynard looked offended. "What happened to 'do not be conformed to the world', and all that? And that beard is a thing of beauty even if I have to pretend that I cannot see it."

This time, Jem did roll his eyes. "The quality of Mary-Lou's beard is not in question." (He wondered what his life had come to, that he was saying this combination of words.) "The point is that people are wondering why an operation to reduce the inflamation-induced pressure in her cranial cavity caused by the accident should _also_ result in her growing facial hair." He crooked an eyebrow. "It is not an unreasonable thing to wonder about."

Jack huffed sulkily, but did not argue. "Fine," he grumped.

Jem went on in a more conciliatory tone. "I'm not saying that your experiments have to stop altogether. You just need to lie low for a bit, alright?"

Jack nodded jerkily. The knuckles of his clenched fist showed white.

Jem stood up. "Good man." He clapped his brother-in-law on the shoulder. "I'm sure all this will blow over in no time. Now, I must run, or Madge will be wondering what's kept me."

Jack stood up too, and moved towards the office door. "Thanks," he said at last. He opened the door, and smoke began to waft in.

Jem coughed, and made his escape.


End file.
